precious thoughts

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

Psalm 139:17-18a

David counted as most precious the Word of God. He knew the thoughts of God, because he studied the Word of God. He reflects on that magnificent process as he sings his song of praise. The magnitude of God’s revelation is astounding. There is a vastness to God’s revelation that expands our own spiritual awareness and transcends our finite intellect. We become most appreciative of our great God when we examine the multitude of blessings and meaning in our God’s great words. We see His care for us, His power and majesty, and our place of praise and service to Him as we contemplate His Word!

And the experience that David had is now even more full for Christians. David had just the Pentateuch, just five books of the Law, that he found massively encouraging. We possess at our fingertips sixty-six books of depth, beauty, and precious power. They should be beyond dear to us. They stretch into a vast collection of God’s thoughts, a galaxy of newness to us as we turn every page, study every book, listen to the Word preached, find strength and comfort in God’s promises, and rejoice in the hope He reveals!

O Lord,

How precious to me are Your thoughts! What a privilege to hold it, read it, study it, know it, memorize it, and believe it. Your thoughts direct my thoughts when I apply myself to Your Word. Your thoughts inform my choices. Your thoughts change my actions. Your thoughts create holy behavior pleasing to You. And all of this is the most precious, most powerful book that abides forever as Your Holy Bible!

Amen

rejection expected

For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.

I Thessalonians 3:4

Paul was direct in his disciple-making. He proclaimed the good news of the gospel along with the realistic results of believing the gospel. And everywhere that Paul preached this, there was controversy and persecution. He did not hide this from anybody. The churches God used him to found were forged in trail and pain. None of that was any secret.

This reminder to the Thessalonian congregation was sent in a letter that Paul wrote from a Roman prison. He used these moments to communicate in letter when he could not visit in person. Paul was concerned that the Thessalonians might lose heart at his imprisonment, so he sent Timothy to encourage them. Paul was himself encouraged when Timothy returned with a report that the church was still thriving. And even in distress and pain, the joy of mutual ministry keep the gospel moving forward!

Do not be surprised then, brothers and sisters, when Christian faith is assaulted by a culture controlled by sinful desires. It WILL happen. We must suffer affliction if we are indeed going to be true to the gospel. And Paul’s goal was never to protest the culture, but rather to encourage disciples amidst their affliction. How we ever got to this entitled delusion of thinking Christians should be happy, healthy, wealthy, and influential is beyond scripture! Take heart… affliction and rejection are the way the culture confirms the authenticity of our faith. They tried to cancel a perfect, holy Jesus. They will reject His disciples as well.

Lord,

We know we will suffer if we follow our Lord Who suffered rejection, crucifixion, mockery, and death at the hands of a hostile culture. And so we realistically accept that the glory of our salvation and the power of the resurrection provide perspective. May we be true to proclaim Your love and grace, even as an evil world hates You.

Amen

rejectors be damned?

And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them.

Luke 9:54-55

Followers of Jesus are not dispensers of God’s wrath and judgment. Yes, we follow the only true and righteous Judge. Yes, one day all justice will be delivered by Jesus. But Christians are not the ones called to mete out God’s wrath on sin.

Ironically, in this gospel account, Jesus was getting closer to Jerusalem, focused on His upcoming passion week and sacrifice. That is the setting for this shocking episode. Traveling through Samaria, Jesus sent messengers ahead into a village hoping to be received with hospitality. But the classic rivalry between Samaritans and Jews met them with a cold refusal. They were not welcome. James and John gave into the racial hatred and were offended. They suggested that hell was what that village should get right then and there. And Jesus would have none of His disciples’ hate. He turned immediately to them to address their calloused bigotry and rebuked them for it. They found another village that was receptive.

When a culture hates Christ and the truths Christians represent, we can be tempted to adopt the “go to hell” attitude of James and John. And I believe Jesus would rebuke us sharply. In the gospel of Luke, as the story progresses, Jesus is going to soon lay down His life for ALL who would reject Him. And He came to save, giving us a message of salvation, not a call to damnation. The world is already damned. A day of judgment has been appointed. Jesus will lead all judgment. But until then, a season of grace is here. Freedom to proclaim the gospel is everywhere. The world may impose the consequences, but they are trivial! We are called to respond to rejection not with revenge, but in obedience we should obey the call to invite sinners to come to receive mercy from Jesus!

It is too easy to just let a fallen world be damned. It is much more Christlike to love people, even in their lost state and in their defiance, calling them to see a Savior Who loves them despite their enmity! Even when sinners lead a culture AWAY from Jesus, we should hope for grace and pray God grants them faith so that some may be saved. We aren’t the dispensers of judgment. We should not darkly comfort our vindictiveness. God, help us stay clear of that kind of hate. We are the givers of grace. God will settle it all in His Day. Will we believe this?

our lives & the gospel together

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

1 Thessalonians 2:8

Ministry isn’t for those who demand social distance. To be a Christian committed to disciple-making means we commit to getting close to people. It’s about vulnerability, friendship, transparency, intimacy, and love like a family. It’s messy sometimes. You aren’t transactional and aloof. You must be interpersonal, sacrificial, and involved. It’s a personal commitment. Paul had just shared in verse seven that his missionary team was gentle, like a nursing mother with an infant, when bringing the gospel to Thessalonika. They were sacrificial. They provided care and support and nurture. And their hearts got close to the people they loved with the gospel.

When we make disciples in the church we make close friends and intimate family. We don’t hold back. We give. We love. We serve. We win. We lose. We care. We pour ourselves into one another. No need is too big to go unmentioned… No problem too difficult not to share… No heartache too personal or deep… No sin kept secret. Our lives are open and wrapped together around our Savior and it is a wonderful, dear kind of life.

God help us not to be mere members of churches that feel cold and uncaring. Save us from being stale, procedural, and institutional. Give us these hearts of affection that Paul and company described here! Let’s share the gospel, and all ourselves, together because our lives are so very dear together. May we know the blessings of such close and meaningful life-giving community!

loved and chosen

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;

sing to his name, for it is pleasant!

For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,

Israel as his own possession.

Psalm 135:3-4

God is indeed good. His grace is wonderful, shown for us forever. He is worthy of our praise and it is beautiful to offer praises to Him! God is good. This I know.

At the time this psalm was written, God’s covenant with Israel was the way His goodness was personally known. Every Israelite was in a unique position, member of a covenant community, chosen by God Himself. He kept them, fed them, protected them, and provided all that they needed. They were His chosen people. They lived to worship and obey the God Who had chosen them out of all of the peoples of the earth to display His glory and might. And so when these chosen people gathered at His temple to worship Him, they reminded themselves of God’s great love and goodness. They honored His covenant. God is good!

And in Christ, right now, God has called out a people for Himself. A new chosen people, holy and beloved, blessed by God with all heavenly blessings in Christ Jesus, are now called to worship Jesus and display His transformative gospel glory to a watching world. We sing the praises of our Savior. We know that the Lord is good. We gather to proclaim His goodness and we scatter into our world to make Jesus known to all people. And from all the peoples of the earth, God is calling even more to come be His chosen people for the glory of the Risen Son.

Lord,

As one of many brothers and sisters “loved by God” and “chosen in Him” (1 Thessalonians 1:4), I have the privilege of living in a unique way, in a community of people You have set apart to praise You and proclaim Your gospel. Help us make Your praises and Your power known!

Amen

my soul

For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Luke 9:25

Jesus

I come to You

to lose my life

and be found again

eternity in Your hands

given out to me

this is no loss

Jesus

You died for me

so I now die

to self and sin

buried and so cold

reborn again in You

I find my life

You saved my soul

Jesus

I gain the most

in this holy death

trading shame for joy

gaining Your great life

my grateful heart sings

with all I possess

Jesus

My cross I take

to follow Your path

You lead my way

Your example I see

as I go forward

Your gospel to live

enthusiasm and expression

Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,

and let your saints shout for joy.

Psalm 132:9

When leaders are righteous, God’s people rejoice. This is a prayer that the priests of God’s temple who were charged with all the daily worship and sacrificial duties, would themselves be men not just committed to a task, but to holiness. It is a hope to God that righteous character would enrobe the hearts of the priests. Then they would lead not just out of mere duty, but in personal holy delight. Their robes would be righteousness. Their deeds would please God because their hearts would seek God.

And in this hope, Israel would rejoice. Holy hearted priests would lead a holy community of saints in shouts of joy as they worshiped. It would be holiness that would yield happiness. Enthusiasm for righteousness would ignite expression in worship. Passion for a holy God would bring praises shouted aloud in the worship gathering. 

O Lord,

I want to serve You with a passion for Your holiness. And I know that only You will make me holy. I am sanctified by the final sacrifice of Jesus, my perfect Great High Priest. And that righteousness that is only found in Christ now clothes me. May my praises, and the songs of all Your redeemed saints, be expressive, joyful, and loud as the joy of our salvation burns in us!

Amen